Our Little Addy
by Elizabeth R. Austin
Summary: My sister was different from day one. It wasn't untill she was five that they decided what was wrong with her. Autism. But that only seemed to matter to my mother.To the rest of us she would always be our little Addy.
1. Introduction

I am not sure were to begin with Adelaide's story. I'd start from the beginning but you can't really remember your own birth, much less your twin's birth.

I guess the best place to start is the first most significant event. It happened when my sister and I turned eleven, just before we received our letters. At the time, the issues between our parents seemed minimal, but soon I began to understand the ordeal of Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, and the frequent arguments following the visits of weird men. That is when I realized it was serious. Things got worse when Adelaide seemed to sense what was going on. Normally she stayed peaceful but the hostile environment my parents created was starting to disturb her.

I remember the first time she broke out into a fit. My mother was screaming at my father for bringing another one of his Death Eater friends to the house. At the time, our older brother, Kendrick, was preparing to join our father and the Death Eaters, so he was also in the kitchen yelling at our mother.

I am not sure what made her snap per say, but one minute she was perched quietly on the window seat staring into space, and the next she was screaming. Nevertheless, I remember the words that were exchanged between my parents before she snapped.

_"Thornfinn, we've been over this; I don't want any guests here, especially when Addy is in the house," said my mother's exasperated voice._

"Margaret, for the last time, that girl hasn't a clue as to what's going on around here. I doubt she even noticed another presence. Besides if anyone's to blame for the random visitors it would be you," my father sneered.

"The doctor said family only. What if she had gotten hungry? Do you not remember what happened the last time? A complete embarrassment," my mother retorted back with a rather pointed tongue.

"Mum! First, he threatened to bite her. She had reason to be upset. She might not know what exactly he said, but any idiot knew he meant her harm. Besides Addy's is fine now. I don't think she even noticed, to be honest," my brother commented.

"She doesn't notice? Don't be ridiculous Kendrick; she went into a fit when she saw Avery here the other day. How are you going to maintain your reputation to the Dark Lord if they found out about Adelaide 's little problem," snarled my mother.

"Don't be ridiculous he simply startled her that's all. It took less than five minutes to calm her down anyway. No one is going to find out fit or no fit; it's not like any of them would know what it is, Mum. They'll just think she's a bit odd, that's all."

"Margaret, it'll all work out. We just need to make sure she doesn't have a fit at an appearance, which I doubt she will. Addy's a good girl as long as someone from the family is with her," my father said smoothly in attempt to calm my mother's rage.

"She won't be making an appearance, Thornfinn," my mother said in finality.

"Margaret, you can't keep Addy locked up all her life."

"You bloody bet I can. She's not leaving this house. If anyone finds out, we'll be ruined."  


"_Mum, you can't do that to Addy. She needs to be exposed to the world. Even the doctor said so! He said if we try she can learn to function on her own," exclaimed Kendrick._

"_No, I'm not letting that out of this house! And you two are not to bring any more guests here!"_

I had been listening rather intently when I noticed Addy starting to move around a bit. Then out of nowhere, she let out a wail. It was almost as if she understood the way our mother had been talking about her.

I rushed over, hugged her to my chest, and rocked us both.

"Shhh Addy, it's okay. It's okay, Addy. Shh!"

All the while, she kept wailing. My mother poked her head in the room, scowling at Addy.

"Adelaide Lynette Rowle, stop that right now," she screamed at my sister.

"Margaret, don't yell at her, you are only going to make it worse," my father hissed.____

My father then rushed in and picked her up and away from me. He lifted her up and began blowing raspberries onto Addy's stomach. At first, she went silent, then her eyes seemed to register my father, and that's when she giggled.

"There, that's my Addy," my father said with a smile.

Father loved Addy that much was clear. His face always lit up when he saw her. I still remember his smile when we got our letters the next day. He was overflowing with glee. Our father spent a lot of time with Addy that day, trying to clear up her confusion over the letter.

I was not jealous though. I understood what he was doing, and I even helped a bit. Mostly, I ended up telling Adelaide repeatedly how much she was going to learn. Addy was always excited when she heard learn or knowledge, though I was never positive she understood until we were in school.

It took some time, but Addy finally seemed to understand that she was going to get to go to Father's school. We both took the big grin on her face all day as a good sign. After we got it through Addy's head, he took us to Diagon Alley for ice cream. He spent the rest of that day telling us stories about his time in Hogwarts.

He also made arrangements that day for us to stay at the Leaky Cauldron the night before we were to get on the train. Our father decided that a night in the full magical world might help Adelaide adjust a bit. We still are not sure how she felt about that night, but she did enjoy the shopping involved beforehand, or at least she seemed to.

One thing is for certain; our little Addy blossomed at Hogwarts.


	2. Addy and the Alley

"Come on, Addy, it's time to go get your wand," my father cooed as he attempted to drag Adelaide away from the books on magical creatures.

I watched Adelaide's petite frame as she resisted my father's pull. Her hand and wrist wiggled as she tried to get rid of his grip. All the while her grey eyes darkening as they focused on one books on the shelf.

"Adelaide," my sister, Margaret, called as she put her hands on Addy's shoulders, "come on now, getting your wand is an exciting ordeal."

Addy continued to ignore both of them; she was encased in her own world. Her eyes were cloudy, and her stature was stiff - this was the signal that she was elsewhere. I watched as she reached her other hand out over and over again. My father frowned, trying to determine what Addy was thinking.

We all watched as Adelaide continued to reach out towards the shelf as if to grab a book, but the book was out of her range. Nevertheless, Adelaide kept reaching her long fingers out for the book. I let out a small laugh as my father's face contorted; he was trying to figure out which book Addy was going after. He eventually reached out and grabbed one, but a sour look on Addy's face told him to put it back immediately.

My brother was the next one to give it a try. He moved behind Addy and reached his arm out right alongside hers. He then rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered to her, "Which one, Addy?"

Addy stretched her arm further out and my brother, Kendrick, stretched his out his own, grabbing the book in front of his hand and placing it in Addy's outstretched one. Addy smiled as Kendrick stood straight and moved to the counter where the clerk stood staring.

I observed the boy behind the counter. He must have just graduated himself as he still had the remnants of acne on his cheeks. He had soft brown hair that needed a cut, and dark green eyes. I was not sure what to make of his look at Addy. He sort of had a glazed look, as if he was observing something for the first time. Then it dawned on me that he was staring because he thought she was freak.

This, of course, angered us. No one needed to be _observing _Addy like that. She was not a freak or a specimen. I suddenly had an urge to hit him, but decided it would be best to let Kendrick handle it since he was already at the counter.

"How much for the book?" Kendrick asked the clerk, demanding his attention.

"Umm, seven sickles two nuts," stumbled the clerk as he stared at Addy who was currently skipping out the door, book in hand.

Kendrick sat the money down, with some extra, and waited until he had caught the clerk's attention by tapping on the counter.

"There's your money, and I'll thank you not to stare at my sister," he snarled before shoving us all out the door.

Once outside, my father scolded my brother on his behavior inside the shop. He did not like harsh reactions around Addy. Anytime any one of us got mad around Adelaide, he would remind us that she was a creature of peace and was very impressionable.

As my father finished his repetitive speech, I noticed that Addy's sandy blonde head and petite, bouncy figure were nowhere in sight. I felt the corners of my mouth fall as panic and worry set in.

"Father," I yelped as panic rose in my throat, "where is Adelaide?"

As the words escaped my mouth, we all went pale. Under no circumstances were we ever supposed to let Addy out of our sight. She was never safe on her own. Not in this world. Not at this time.

"Split up and search. Kendrick, go with Audrey. Margy, you are coming with me," he barked, grabbing my sister's arm in a fluster.

My brother and I watched my father and sister disappear off into one direction. When they were out of sight, he looked down at me in worry and utter confusion. Kendrick, try as he might, had no understanding of Addy. The best he could do was communication with her through objects like the book he helped her get.

"Well, umm, where do you think she would go, Audrey?" he asked in a strained voice.

I looked down the street in both directions, trying to think where Addy could have gone.

It was not until a boy around my age passed with his family and a caged owl that the thought struck me. I was suddenly reminded of Adelaide's excitement when she had first laid eyes on Eeylopes Owl Emporium. As a natural reaction, I grabbed hold of my brother's wrist and tugged him in the direction of the shop. I did not get him going very quickly until he had the same realisation.

My brother was a decent sized man and my fingertips couldn't touch when my hand was tightly wrapped around his wrist. He stood close to six-foot. Kendrick seemed to have my father's strong build but my mother's metabolism. Therefore, making him tall, broad shouldered, and very lean. He had medium-brown hair; a mix between my father and mother. But his eyes were the same as my mother's eyes. Well, not exactly the same; he had warm eyes that reminded me of the chocolate chips in freshly baked cookies. My mother's were hard, like dry dirt and 

stone. I never understood why he refused to date, though I knew it had something to do with Adelaide.

"There she is," Kendrick shouted, shaking off my grip and running full force at Adelaide.

I ran after him, only slowing to watch as he scooped her up in a giant hug. Addy was like a rag doll to my brother. She was so tiny, so fragile. I always feared that she was going to break when Kendrick or my father hugged her.

"Oh, Addy, you scared me. And Father is terrified," he mumbled nuzzling the top of Addy's head.

Addy did not respond. She looked almost petrified; I was afraid she was going to have a fit. But then she opened her mouth and surprised me. I quickly learned one thing after Addy and I started school. I learned that her behaviours were set. She reacted the same way to everything. I just had never paid attention, in school I had to.

"I want a pet," she stated bluntly.

"We'll have to talk to Dad, but first, your wand," Kendrick spoke softly, hoping not to upset her.

"Wand," she questioned, her eyes widening with curiosity.

"Yup, just like Father's," he said smiling.

I watched Addy's eyes light up as she turned to me.

"You get one too, right, Audrey?" she said, looking slightly worried as her smile melted away.

"Of course, Addy, every witch and wizard gets one," I stated, smiling.

After he released her, she instantly hugged me. I hugged her back, happy that she was safe. I always loved it when Adelaide would get excited. She was so cute.

"There you are. Dad, here they are!" my sister yelled behind us.

I instantly let go of Addy so my father could inspect her and then hug her as well.

"There's my Addy. You shouldn't take off like that. It's too dangerous for you to be alone right now," he said wrapping her in a hug. "Come, we need to get to Ollivander's shop. You need a wand more than anything."

Our experience at Ollivander's was interesting to say the least. Addy had a fit when her third wand did something unpleasant and different. She ranted in aggravation because of the wands different reaction, scaring Mr.Ollivander. Father calmed her down in no time while Kendrick 

and Margret explained to Mr.Ollivander what was wrong. He took a while before he chose the next one for her to try. It was unicorn hair, ten and three quarter's inches, made of willow. It was just as delicate looking as Adelaide herself. My wand was quite different. Oak, dragon heartstring, and a length of eleven and three quarter's inches. It only took me two tries, much to Adelaide's confusion.

"I do not understand," she said frowning and staring at our wands with crossed arms.

Mr.Ollivander looked at my father oddly for a moment before he explained how wands are chosen to Adelaide. By the end of the conversation, they were both smiling. It seemed despite his first reaction to Adelaide's disorder, Mr.Ollivander had taken to her and her interest on the subject.

In fact, it was almost an hour later before we left the shop. I was a little agitated but did not argue the issue since everyone else seemed happy that Adelaide had communicated with someone.

"Daddy, can I get a pet now?" Adelaide questioned.

He smiled but shook his head, causing Adelaide to frown and stop dead in her tracks.

"Now, Addy, don't be like that. I want you to get all of your other supplies first. It wouldn't be good for your pet if we shoved it along to all the shops we have to go to," he said, looking Adelaide in the eyes.

Adelaide stood for a moment before beginning to walk again. We easily gathered all our other supplies without incident. Addy asked a few questions as did I, but otherwise we were in and out of each shop in no time.

However, the trip back to Eeylops took a bit longer. Addy searched the shop for her ideal pet, while I remained as far away from the bird cages as possible. I did not like owls. My mother's owl had left quite a scar on me and had turned me against the foul fowls for life.

"This one," Addy said, pointing to a particularly young barn owl.

I smiled from a distance as I noticed that the little creature seemed captivated with Adelaide. Before my father could even reach the cage, Addy had already removed an owl and was holding it gently. My stomach lurched a bit when she kissed the top of its head, but I smiled as it hooted happily. The little owl's giddy attitude caused my family to laugh.

I glared at the feathery deamon offspring. Birds were evil, and this _adorable bundle_ of young fluffy white feathers was no different. While everyone else was laughing I studied the creature. It's head was too big for its body since it was not full grown, and it had only managed to get rid of its lower baby feather's.

Yet and all Adelaide bonded with the little creature. It responded to her every movement, and every word. I found it all bizarre, but then again Addy had found every creature cute. Even if she knew I completely hated it.

I stared at the supplies for the thing. A cage, not gold, not silver, but yellow. I thought it odd, but then my brain made a connection. The yellow rose meant friendship, which is why Adelaide had been so insistent on getting another bush for her garden. There for it seemed obvious that yellow would be her color of choice.

I also took note that she bought the food of a yellow color. If it had been anyone else I would have assumed the flavor, but knowing Addy, it was all about the color. I would have to explain to her later that you could not feed someone yellow foods to make them friendly, therefore her choices were useless.

"Addy," I said gently approaching her.

"Amity," she said.

I looked at her and then warily at the owl as I tried to move away from its odd gaze.

"Her name is Amity. She's friendly so you shouldn't worry. She likes yellow, and," she then paused and pointed lightly at the bag of food without taking her eyes off Amity. "She likes the flavor of these."

"Addy she's color blind. She cannot like a shade or color," I stated.

I watched as her brow furrowed at the evil fluffy one. Then she took two steps away from me.

"Addy," I said exasperated know she was angry with me now.

My father, being a wise man, did not argue with her, and chose not to force me to take up a pet. I was not terribly fond of any of the choices Hogwarts had given for pets. I supposed that was because I enjoyed bigger animals, and was definitely not a cat person.

Adelaide rushed over and grabbed my hand, dragging me to pick out the little owl's supplies. My father and brother rested themselves against the counter. They laughed while my sister chatted up the clerk who she seemed to have met at Hogwarts. I felt a bit angry as Adelaide rushed me around the store.

That night, Addy stayed up playing with her new pet while I slept. I worried about what was to come tomorrow. I knew there would be loads of people which Adelaide was not accustomed to. I also knew she had never set foot on a train and would be very reluctant to do so. I prayed that 

she would not cause a scene, but I knew she would. She would not be able to handle it, and we would not be able to handle her.

Adelaide had a dreadfully embarrassing habit of curling up and covering her face when she was around someone unwanted. She would also continue to whisper 'not there'. I knew she couldn't help it, and I hoped that Addy would grow out of it. She was so friendly once she was accustomed to someone's presence, but she took to a very few limited people upon the first meeting.

I was also worried about the nurse that had been hired to help Adelaide. Firstly, she was not introduced to Addy before the start of school for some odd reason pertaining to my mother. Secondly, Father mentioned something to the effect that the woman was dreadful with magic. Finally, I doubted that this person could handle my sister. But I consoled myself with my father's talk of simply just replacing the woman until someone came along that Adelaide would accept.

Simply put, I had a lot on my mind that night while little Addy fell asleep peacefully with her owl perched close by.


	3. Her First Time

When we awoke the next morning, my father had left with Margaret, and Kendrick was sitting at the small desk in the room, running his right hand through his hair nervously. There was no paper or pen on the desk, but his other hand still ran busily across the desks dark mahogany surface, inspecting every bit of its texture.

Rubbing the sleep out of my drowsy eyes, I examined the rest of the room. The sun peaked through the curtains in tiny rays of light that hit the floor and died out in the dust of the room. I frowned as my nose scrunched in my attempt not to sneeze. Addy was a light sleeper and with the lack of noise in the room, I knew she was still asleep.

Slowly, I raised my body out of the bed and shuffled quietly over to my brother. I lightly placed my right hand on his broad shoulder, causing him to jump and the chair he was seated on to scrape against the floor. We both winced at the noise as Addy stirred before slowing sitting up. I looked over at her wide eyes as she took in her surroundings. At first, she appeared confused by her surroundings. Addy required routine, and waking up in a different room was definitely not routine for her.

Kendrick stood up beside me. Neither of us moved; we were afraid that any movement might make the experience worse on Addy. She could fall asleep anywhere, but she always woke up in my room, beside me. If she awoke in her own bed, it bothered her unless she had taken her Sunday nap. However, this room looked nothing like either of our rooms, and she was shifting uncomfortable.

Worry creased my forehead as I attempted to think of a way to explain to Addy the reasoning for the different surroundings, and why Father had not been here to wake her up as he did every morning at home. I opened my mouth in that all too clichéd goldfish fashion.

"Why?" she screamed, pulling at her hair, which was already in many knots.

Addy repeated herself four more times before words unknown to me or to Kendrick spilled out between her lips. Kendrick moved first, scooping her up in one swift movement. He cradled her and took a seat on the bed. Unfortunately, Adelaide did not calm down. She may have stopped screaming, but she replaced the loud screeches with flailing about. I moved to help, but I was not quick enough, she managed to kick Kendrick square in the jaw as he tried to sing a low lullaby to her.

Kendrick whimpered as blood trickled out of his lip. He looked at my approaching figure with eyes that screamed for help. Just as I reached the bed, disaster struck in the form of evil-feathered and fluffy.

Amity, being the most brilliant thing on the planet, had awoken in alarm and was attempting to fly around the room. The only issue was that she was still much too young to be flying about. The only thing she did manage was to knock over a lamp and hit the wall just above the bed. Luckily, the idiotic fowl landed on the pillow next to my brother.

I glared at the stupid bird, assuming this would only further upset Adelaide. However, much to our surprise, Addy instantly shut up and crawled out of Kendrick's arms to the creature. We made eye contact, both wearing looks of confusion as she cuddled the bird and whispered to it. Kendrick simply shrugged and quietly made his way to the bathroom to clean up his bleeding lip.

"Addy," I whispered, crawling onto the bed.

She looked at me briefly before forming her lips to make a soft shushing sound that barely moved the dust in the air. Addy's attention was only focused on the bird that was now burrowing itself in her shirt. Soon enough, Addy had coiled herself around Amity on her side and both were sleeping peacefully.

Kendrick chose to exit the bathroom at this point, wearing a rather well-etched frown on his face. He took a seat on one of the wooden chairs in the room. I noted that not only had he chosen the farthest position from Addy, but also a place shrouded in the darkness of the room. Kendrick's dark hair and pants blended into the shadows. Using his wand, he put out all the lanterns in the room and lit a rather petite candle on the table before waving me over to sit next to him.

I knew what was coming next; nonetheless, I wore a light smile and took the seat. As Kendrick chose to stare at the table, I choose to stare straight at his head.

"The Blacks and Malfoys want to meet us at the platform," he said softly as he played with his hands.

"I expected as much. I'm not dumb, Kendrick, I understand what would happen if Addy was seen with you and father," I snapped.

He looked up at me rather quickly.

"I know you are not dumb," he bit back. "The plan is for Margaret to take you and Addy to a compartment and then meet up with father and me. The Malfoys and Blacks wish to congratulate her on her Head Girl position. Just do as she tells you and keep Addy quiet. We will say goodbye before the two of you go onto the platform. We will wake Addy up in thirty minutes when dad arrives. In the meantime, read one of your school books."

I did not say anything to him, nor did I do as he requested. He glared at me and I glared back.

"Quit that. This isn't my choice and you know it."

I snorted. Not his _choice_? Really now.

"It most certainly is **your **choice, Kendrick. You could have stuck by Adelaide. You could have defied mother like I so blatantly have."

"Audrey, it's not that black and white, my dear sister. You'll understand that someday, but it's too complicated for you to understand now," he stated, massaging his temples.

"Try me."

"No. You already handle a burden that is beyond your age. I will not allow you to handle anything else at this point in time. Father and I will tell you when the time is right. For now, just take care of her, please," he pleaded.

I found myself slightly offended at the statement. At the time, I was so sure that I could have handled what was going on. However, now that I do know, I can tell you how very wrong I was. I am forever grateful for my brother's refusal at that time. I am also grateful that my father appeared before I could argue the matter further.

In a matter of ten minutes, my father had awoken Addy, gathered our things, and signed us out of the room. We took the Knight Bus to King's Cross. The whole way there, Adelaide bounced merrily on my father's lap. I watched her as I mentally prepared myself for her reaction to father and Kendrick not seeing us onto the train.

When we arrived, Adelaide was instantly interested in all the people as they bustled about. Her eyes remained wide as Father ushered the two of us through the busy people with their briefcases and coats, hurrying off this way and that way. Not liking the claustrophobic feeling I had in my stomach, I kept my head down and counted the concrete slabs as we hurried onwards.

It felt odd being around so many Muggles. Mother had strictly limited Adelaide's contact with the outside world as well as my own. I watched their feet as they passed by us. I never really thought that there were so many types of shoes, or trench coats for that matter.

We stopped abruptly in the middle of a particularly large slab of concrete. I walked straight into my brother's back which caused him to turn his head slightly and chuckle. His eyes, however, never left Addy. Kendrick, as well as my father and I, feared the worst when it came to her reactions to new surroundings.

I glared at the large brick pillar that stood in front of us. I knew that this would not go well with Addy. She had been sure since the age of four that people could not walk through solid objects. This was of course discovered after trying to do so and failing miserably.

"Well, girls, this is where we part ways. Margaret should be here soon," my father said in a rushed manner.

He went to Adelaide first, encasing her in a large hug that involved picking her up off of the ground. The two exchanged what Addy called feather-kisses. Meanwhile, Kendrick took the time to tell me that everything would be fine. He hugged me tightly while spewing what I deem now empty promises, but at the time they made me smile and fill me with hope.

My father, however, was completely the opposite. He hugged me much tighter than Kendrick had, and told me to be brave. His voice was quite and very serious. He did not repeat the words, nor did he say anything else between the hug and when Margaret came to get us. For the first 

time, he let Kendrick explain something to Adelaide. Father became intrigued by all the people passing by us, hustling their way to their individual destinations.

It may have taken up to ten minutes but when Margaret appeared discretely, from the brick surface, Addy had accepted what was going to happen. She had protested on several occasions throughout Kendrick's speech, but he had hushed her quickly.

As soon as Margaret appeared, my palms began to sweat and I lost all concentrated thought that did not include my panic. I played and replayed every possible 'what if?' scenario through my head. They all ended with a conclusion of decimation.

Before I could even wrap my mind around any form of composure, Margaret was shoving Addy and I into some compartment on what I assumed was the train my brother had described. I was slowly regaining rational thought when Margaret opened her mouth to say something to the both of us but stopped short to glare in the corner of the compartment.

"You," she snapped, pointing a finger at the corner of the small area. "If there is any other place in which you could possibly sit yourself, I suggest you go now."

The boy looked up silently from his book. His eyes widened at the directness of Margaret. Margaret responded by gasping as she got a full view of the boy's face.

"Lupin, right?" she said a grin spreading across her face.

The boy looked slightly taken aback by her smile. He shifted in his seat, and shook some of his messy light-brown hair over his eyes. I noted that he seemed to be attempting to hide. Regardless of his transparent unease, he nodded his head, causing my sister to let out a shrill laugh.

"Never mind, you may stay then," she stated as she shoved Addy and I into our seats before roughly tossing our trunks in their proper place as well. "And Mr. Greyback sends his greetings."

As the Lupin boy stiffened, Margaret slammed the door shut. I looked down at my lap, fiddling with my hand. I was not sure if my sister's outlandish behavior should be apologised for or expected.

"Sorry about her," I said quietly, picking at my thumbnail.

There was a few moments of silence before he made any noise at all. A strangled version of 'erm' escaped his mouth followed by the loud thud of his book hitting the floor. I found myself rather baffled until I looked up to see Addy attempting to pet him.

"Puppy," she exclaimed, patting his head repeatedly.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Addy," I yelled, "that is not a puppy. That is a boy. For heaven's sake, Addy, stop petting him."

I quickly got up and snatched her hand. She let out a yelp and cowered in a corner of the compartment.

"Oh, Addy, that's enough. Stop this right now."

I was expecting a nod or something in conformation, but all she did was let out a soft word.

"Puppy," she whispered again.

I was growing impatient; dealing with my family's rejection was more than enough for one day. I did not need Adelaide bringing her own little world to life using a future classmate.

"Addy, he is a boy. B-O-Y. Boy, human, male. He isn't fluffy, he hasn't got large ears, he reads, walks on two legs, is capable of thought and speech, has opposable thumbs, doesn't bite, bark, growl, or drool regularly," I ranted as my face heated up. "Now, apologise to him immediately, and start acting human yourself!"

She sat there a moment staring out the window as the train left the station. A minute passed, and then another, and then she started to whimper.

"Dark," she whispered, "dark, dark, dark."

I stared at her before grabbing her wrist. I was not about to sit and watch her pull at her hair, ripping it out. As she struggled against my grip, I turned my head.

"Sorry about her. Adelaide is just different. I'm Audrey Rowle, by the way," I said, hoping to alleviate some tension filling up the room.

Before he could say anything, the compartment door slid open. My sister entered dragging three boys with her.

"You in now," she snapped at all of them. "Incredible, the term hasn't even started. In fact, you haven't even started and you're already causing chaos. Ridiculous. Especially you, Black. Surely your mother raised you to know how to act," she stated, tossing the three boys in.

Suddenly, Addy went still. I gasped, causing my sister to turn on me. It was too late now, there was nothing I could do. So, I stepped back and faced Margaret.

"She's already having fits! Adelaide Lynnette Rowle, stop being such a disgrace. Really, must you cause a scene everywhere?"

Adelaide's eyes grew wide with shock. I knew Addy was going to react poorly to the amount of people in the compartment. She did not like having so many unfamiliar faces about her. The yelling was only making it worse. She responded by balling herself up, and beginning to sob as she viciously tore at her hair. Addy's movements caused an uproar in Amity as well.

"Oh, please. This is ridiculous. When will you grow up," Margaret snapped grabbing one of Addy's hands. "Enough is enough. Stop it right now."

Margaret then proceeded to slap Addy on the head, and threw a ball of parchment at the noisy creature. Her cheeks were bright red, and there was fiery anger burning in my sisters normally dormant eyes.

"Dark," Addy wailed.

"I demand you stop this instant. Audrey! Make her stop, and the bird too. Someone will hear them… I'll be ruined," Margaret screeched, throwing me at Adelaide as she swatted at the bird.

"Well, it's your own bloody fault. Bring random people in here, screaming at her, and what not. You calm her down yourself. You act like you don't know she's sick," I said icily.

She then glared at me before raising her hand and striking me on the cheek.

"She is not sick. Addy has chosen to be broken. You choose to support her. As far as I am concerned, Mother was correct in her attempt to rid our family of you both. You're nothing but a mar on the family name. Especially you, Audrey, you disrespectful little twit. Had father not been lacking backbone, Addy would have been dealt with properly, and wouldn't exist. Leaving you to be the obedient child you should be! Now shut her up before I get someone to do it permanently!" She said fixing me with a glare.

I heard a few gasps from the boys as I walked over and cuddled Addy. I watched in horror as Amity dove at Margaret, missing and hitting the wall instead. Margaret let out a shrill laugh that her and my mother shared. It was absolutely chilling to me.

I took a moment to look at the boys and smile apologetically for the scene before I scooped Addy up in my arms.

"It's all right, Addy. Honestly, she doesn't mean it. Mommy loves you. I love you. The darkness never existed, Addy. It's all in your head," I cooed, kissing the top of her head as I attempted to regain control before she scratched too hard again. "Think of Daddy, Addy. He'd be so proud of you making the adjustments."

My sister left the room so quietly that I had not even noticed her missing presence except for a mild change in the compartment's air. Soon after, I had Adelaide to the point where she was resting peacefully in my arms. Even at eleven, she was so much smaller than I was. As she drew slow breaths, she reached out for the young bird, who happily made its way into her lap.

"Now, I'm sure if we introduce ourselves to these people, they will return the favor, and you can no longer call them strangers," I said soothingly, looking up, hoping to see some recognition.

Adelaide had a thing against strangers. She felt uncomfortable around them, especially many of them. However, if the people would introduce themselves, chances were she would calm down. Though this was not always the case. Sometimes Adelaide refused to accept people. She would say that they were 'dark'. It was almost as if she knew what they had done. My brother and I took note of this as a possibility that she was some sort of seer as well. She seemed to dislike particularly nasty Death Eaters. The ones that overly enjoyed what they did. I think that is why she feared Greyback so much. He had no redeeming qualities, and Addy seemed to know this.

"I'm Audrey Rowle, and this is my twin Adelaide Rowle," I said, looking hopeful.

"Remus Lupin," said the brown-haired boy who was in here when we first arrived.

"James Potter," piped up the boy with glasses.

"Peter Pettigrew," stammered the one still seated on the floor.

"Sirius Black," whispered the one my sister had personally scolded.

I nodded as Addy yawned. Her fits always left her exhausted. I noted that all four boys had moved as far away from Adelaide and myself as they possibly could. This is what I had feared all along. People would be scared of Addy, not always for the same reason, but scared nonetheless. It worried me. Addy and I were so different; I felt that there was no possibility for us to be in the same house. This meant she would be alone with whoever the nurse was. Addy hated to be alone.

"Amity," Addy said, pointing at the little bird nuzzled in her lap.

I smiled down at her as best I could as she continued to curl up in my lap. Addy had spoken to them on her own. This was a very good sign.


	4. Sorted

As Addy fell fast asleep on my lap, I played with her hair, running my fingers through the length and softly undoing any tangles. A slight smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she nuzzled against my lap.

"So, erm, what exactly did you do to my sister?" I said softly without looking up.

"Pardon?" responded Potter, fixing me with a rather inquisitive stare.

I looked at him through my hair. My parents had often described a set of Potters. My father liked them all right, but my mother forbid him from speaking to them. Apparently, they were 'not the right sort', though mother's ideas of the 'right sort' were not the same as mine. Potter had the messy black hair and the hazel eyes. The glasses had also been accurately described to me as black, round and wire. I assumed this was more than coincidence and just went with assumption that he belonged to the family on my mother's 'do not associate' list, which made him okay on my list.

"I asked what you did to get punished," I said quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping Addy in my lap.

There was a moment of lapsed silence, before someone spoke up. Much to my surprise, the voice belonged to Black. I really had not expected him to speak much being in the company of people he was in. While the Black Family did not look down upon us, they certainly did not think my family was to their exact standards. However, my mother and older sister had met their specifications of association. It was just the rest of us that the Blacks tolerated.

"It wasn't really all of us, just me, really," he said in a nonchalant tone. "The others just tried to put an end to it."

I shook my head slightly to indicate I was listening as another moment of silence came.

"Actually, to tell the truth, I don't understand why any of us are in here. Malfoy asked for what he got."

I looked up suddenly.

"Lucius?" I questioned softly.

"The one and only," was Potter's reply.

I smiled slightly. "Figures. That git starts up trouble everywhere. Really should keep that fat mouth shut," I said, shaking my head.

"You have a problem with Malfoy?" asked Black with a raised brow.

"I should be asking the same of you," I said, fixing him with a slight glare.

He folded his arms and returned my frown as Potter gave questioning looks to the both of us.

"One could say I'm not big on family tradition," he replied curtly.

"I'm obviously not the family favourite either," I replied, nodding to the door.

Black raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but Pettigrew beat him to it.

"So, what exactly is wrong with your, err… sister?" he said cautiously as he pressed himself against the wall.

I frowned and looked down at her peaceful sleeping figure. It irritated me when people treated her like a walking disease. She had a disorder, plain and simple.

"She's… Addy's… She's not diseased, okay?" I snapped at him. "It's a mental disorder of sorts. It is more prominent in Muggles for whatever reason. It is a variation of a disease called autism. It is difficult to explain."

Pettigrew did not relax at all, and the other boys just looked more curious and confused. Lupin had actually put down his book at this point.

"So she's crazy, then?" Black inquired.

"No. She isn't crazy," I said through gritted teeth. "She's just different. Like I said, it is difficult to explain."

"No reason to get upset," said Potter.

I glared at him.

"Oh, so calling... umm, let's say your mother crazy would give you no reason to be upset?" I asked with raised brow.

Potter stiffened, but Black let out a laugh.

"Call my mother anything you like -- I really don't care."

I glared at him. Why did he have to make things increasingly difficult?

"Not to be rude, but, erm, why did she… umm…" Lupin stuttered, making a gesture at his head.

I shrugged and shook my head. This is why things were so hard to explain.

"Couldn't tell you, really. Addy sees things differently sometimes. It might be your hair; we had a dog that was the same colour, but in reality, there is no telling. She does things like that. Connects people with certain words. Like when certain people come to our home, she refers to them as dark and nothing else."

"I assume by certain people you mean Death Eaters, then?" inquired Black.

I shook my head softly and petted Addy's head.

"She knows from the moment she sees them what they are," I said quietly. "Evil."

"So is she a seer, then?" Pettigrew squeaked.

"We don't really know. She rarely talks, and when she does, it's only to certain people. Though she has given us reason to believe so," I said as she shifted in my lap.

The conversation stopped for a bit before the snack trolley showed up. It was quickly started up again over chocolate frog cards. Pettigrew managed to let one of the frogs escape our compartment, giving us all a good laugh. We continued to laugh and tell jokes, while trying to make sure Addy remained asleep, until it was time to change into our school robes. The others seemed like good enough people. Pettigrew was definitely a bit jittery, and Lupin was rather quiet, but I suppose they were both nervous. I took a mental synopsis on each one of them as I attempted to wake Addy so she could change into her robes. They had left the compartment out of courtesy to and out of fear of Addy's condition.

I managed to wake Addy up and get her changed rather quickly. I also fed her some of my candy, a few liquorice wands, a pumpkin pastry, and a chocolate frog, since her stomach was growling. I did not know when the feast would start and I knew what would happen if she remained hungry through the sorting ceremony. I was also able to get her to chat a bit with me before the boys returned. Unfortunately, I was unable to uncover why she thought Lupin was a puppy.

Addy had me recount to her all the things about each of the houses that Kendrick had told me, before she became very quiet again. It was not until everyone returned that she finally spoke to me again.

"Not Slytherin. Not Ravenclaw," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

The boys glanced at her and then me in confusion. I did not need to ask any questions -- I already knew the answers. There was a rather obvious reason for not being in Slytherin, but it took me a moment to recall why she did not want to be in Ravenclaw.

"What's wrong with Ravenclaw?" Lupin asked softly.

Addy looked directly at him and blinked twice. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. I was about ready to speak for Addy when she shocked me and answered herself.

"Margaret is a Ravenclaw," she said, glaring at the door.

"As is our mother," I added, putting a hand on Adelaide's to calm her down in case she was upset.

Lupin nodded his head in understanding and shied away from the conversation that Black and Potter chose to continue. It was long before we reached the train station. I let the boys go first, hoping to keep Adelaide separated from the ruckus and Margaret. Much to my surprise. Lupin waited for us right outside the door, and we rejoined the others on the platform.

"What do you suppose comes next?" Lupin asked softly.

"Boats," Addy said excitedly as a large man called out for first years.

I smiled at her communication with Lupin. It was both shocking and satisfying.

"And how do you know that?" he asked her.

"Kendrick told me. He said that we go on boats while all the others go on carriages," she replied.

He smiled at her softly in return and she skipped along in between the two of us. In the end, I ended up in a boat with Lupin and Addy. Black, Potter and Pettigrew had gotten in the one just behind us after Potter and Lupin helped me get Addy into the boat safely.

The closer we got to the castle, the more my palms began to sweat. I was nervous about the sorting ceremony. I knew in my heart that it would be the last time Addy and I would be together that evening. Even though I knew there was no hope, I continually asked for her to be in the same house as me. The idea of leaving her with someone I had never met terrified me.

After arriving at the castle, I clambered out of the boat to be prepared to help Addy out. She reached for me as Lupin helped her keep stability, and we then returned the favour, before helping Black, Potter and Pettigrew out of theirs.

A stern looking woman, whom I assumed was the infamous McGonagall, took charge of us. I really did not pay attention to what she was saying because my brother had already informed me of everything. Instead, I watched Addy as she took in the castle, seemingly brick by brick. I could tell she liked it though. Her eyes sparkled and there was an upward curl to her lips, also her grip on my hand had loosened since we got off the boat.

Unfortunately, the trip between the docking point and the doors of the Great Hall was not long enough to prepare me for letting go of Addy. I was not sure at that point whether Addy or I was doing more of the letting go.

The hall went silent just as my brother said it would. I glanced around, meeting my sister's stern look only momentarily before staring idly at the tattered hat that would predict my fate. As I stared and squeezed Addy's hand, it began its song.

When it was finished and everyone was clapping, I took a rather large gulp in attempt to swallow my nerves as McGonagall read off the names.

Black became the source of gossip that evening when he was sorted into Gryffindor. I remained silent and in my own head, until I heard Lupin's name called out. He too was sent to Gryffindor, soon followed by Pettigrew and Potter. I let out a silent whimper, seeing how close to the front Addy and I were. Addy on the other hand had released my sweaty one and was fidgeting impatiently.

"Rowle, Adelaide."

My entire body seized as she scampered up to the stool. I dug my nails into my skin, hoping that she would be placed wherever I was going. Suddenly, the hat called out, making me jump.

"Hufflepuff!"

Addy looked content as she nearly skipped to the table. I, however, let out a sob, knowing all too well how the news would be taken at home. As I bowed my head, I caught a glance at Margaret whispering hurriedly to Malfoy. Mother would certainly know of this by tomorrow morning. Poor Addy. Things were going to get even worse for her at home.

"Rowle, Audrey."

I took a deep breath, and proceeded forward. I tried to hold in how upset I was as McGonagall sat the hat on my head.

_No need to be frightened,_ it said. _Everything is going to work out just fine. _

I swallowed and nodded slightly.

_Now there is only one place for you. I wouldn't dare place you with your sister, either one for that matter. No, this is most definitely the only place for you._

Before I could plead with it, the hat called out my fate, and it was definitely not pretty.

"Gryffindor!"


	5. And so it begins

To say I was panicking at that point and time would have been an understatement. I skin went cold; I could feel the color run right out of my face. It trickled down to my hands were it cause a stinging sensation as it released sweat making them clammy. My body had almost gone completely numb aside from the stinging sensation.

I made my way to the table, almost in automatic drive it seemed. Part of me was scared at how easily I took and accepted my seat at the Gryffindor table. The most unnatural seat in this room next to Addy's was now mine. We had a fifty percent chance of getting it right, and both of us blew it. I didn't need to look up to know. I already knew. Margaret had already probably started the letter. I could give her benefit of the doubt and say that she was wearing disappointment but I know her face was twisted in a smirk of terrifying pleasure.

It was the smirk mother used before she did something awful to punish Adelaide. Margaret had certainly inherited a lot from my mother. She was just as cold and determined. The two of them could have been twins if it weren't for the few physical traits of my father and the age difference.

I let everything blur as the sorting ended and Dumbledore gave his speech. I caught a few words but paid no mind. My brother had already told me the rules and which ones he had gotten away with breaking. As a result I focused on the current situation or predicament I was stuck in. Even though I knew it was going to happen I was completely unprepared for the actual shock of reality. The food filled the plates set in the center of the table and filled the room with what would have normally been a heavenly aroma. I remained still and silent though while everyone else piled food onto their plates.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here."

I ignored the person speaking and fixated my eyes on the grain of the table. I kept hoping that something at some point would jump out and scream a solution to me. It didn't.

Hey reverberated through my ears as though I was in an empty cavern below ground as a jab tickled my side. I was vaguely more aware of my surroundings as someone mentioned death. The world beyond my piece of table came to me in slow pace focus. The roaring sound of voices filled my ears as well as the clatter and scrapping of utensils and plates. As I took a deep breath I almost gagged on the foods strong overpowering scent. I blinked a couple of times looking around me at the people that were now coming into focus before settling on the person who had disturbed me.

"What," I asked in a gravely voice.

"I said fancy seeing you here."

I looked to the voice addressing me. It was the Black kid. He looked as sickly as I did. The color that had been in his face on the train was now completely gone. His eyes were drowning in worry. My guess is he wasn't expecting to be here either.

I finally slowly nodded my head to show that I had heard him, but I didn't respond. A few minutes later everything was becoming fuzzy again and I had returned to my own thoughts. This didn't last long before I was disturbed again, but I didn't respond. I ignored it and tried to keep my focus on my own thoughts.

A few minutes later I received another poke. In response I simply rotated to face Black and quirked and eyebrow.

"I asked what are you going to do, well you and Addy," he whispered to me.

I bit my lip. I hadn't even thought about Addy. In my mind I knew there really was never any hope for either of us. The only thing that kept us from being killed was the love of my father and brother. But the question of how long that would last still remained. They couldn't protect us forever and make mother happy.

I looked around for Addy. Her wild golden hair was easy to spot at the table. She had a lady next to her. I squinted trying to get a better look. Somehow the lady had Addy smiling at her. I felt a little more at ease. Whoever this helper was, she seemed to know what to do. I was still a little uneasy having her out of my sight, with no way to check up on her at anytime. Dumbledore had insisted it would all be okay, but I would always have my doubts.

I knew her name was Sarah, but beyond that I didn't know much. Her face seemed aged the first time I had came into contact with her. What struck me was that she was actually fairly young, but it had seemed the stress of the dark times had gotten to her. I doubted that taking care of Adelaide was going to help any. Her dark brown hair was swept back in a bun, but just like the day we were introduced to her it was messy.

Sarah had soft features if you could look past the aging that time had caused her. Her smile when we met, and the one she wore now as she communicated with Addy was warm. I smiled slightly as I noted that she kept her eyes focused on Adelaide the entire time even if Adelaide's attention was elsewhere.

Adelaide had her quirks, outside of her mental disorder. She had moments of complete unpredictability. Like running off in Daigon Alley, she could be horribly spontaneous. Nothing held her back because she didn't always live by our boundaries. All I could do is try and maintain faith in this Dumbledore.

"I don't know," I finally answered.

"Me either," Sirius whispered back.

I nodded my head, and surveyed the food. In all reality I was starving, but the stress of the situation made everything look unappealing. Even my goblet full of pumpkin juice was revolting. Regardless I reached out and put a few random things on my plate not to look completely crazy. In the end I ended up just pushing the food around my plate through dinner and desert.

Before I knew it we were dismissed and herded to the common rooms. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the movement or the idea of the common room. I knew a letter would be coming in the middle of the night, and that I would probably receive a second at breakfast the next day.

As we made our way out of the Great Hall, someone grabbed my shoulder digging their nails into the fabric of my robes. At first I resisted but it was futile. I knew who it was and there would be no escaping.

"Thought you could sneak away did you," my sister sneered as she directed me to an unused corridor.

I didn't respond, just stared straight-ahead willing myself to be somewhere else. By now I had learned how to handle Margaret's confrontations with me. There was no way out of them or being hurt but there were ways to avoid any considerable damage from her. The worst I could do is anger her enough for her to curse me. It wasn't difficult to make her angry enough with me; in fact it was much easier than not getting badly injured.

"Answer me you twat," she screeched shoving me to one of the rough stonewalls and drawing her wand.

I winced but refused to respond. I knew whatever I said would only make the situation worse. Mother and I played these games at home all the time. The outcome was always the same, and always painful.

"I already wrote mother and father of your disgraces to the family. I added that things as well but it's failures were already assumed," she spat digging the tip of her wand into my shoulder as she allowed sparks to fly from the tip burning a hole in my robes.

"Father won't be able to defend you now. They will be no one left to save you."

She was smiling, that awful twisted one. The very same one Mother had. The one she made when she caused Addy pain, or just felt like making her cry. The same smile that every death eater had. The ones that made Addy cry. I braced my body for what came next. My sister was smart, dangerously so. I knew school rules wouldn't stop her punishment for me. She was much too clever to get caught at something like this.

To my surprise she removed her wand from my shoulder a few seconds later. I watched curiously as she pocketed it.

"Just you wait till Mother gets my letter," she said grabbing my chin and forcing me to look her in the eye.

Her nails dug deep into my skin causing a stinging sensation. I winced in pain, and the feel of hot liquid trickling out from under one of her nails. I could almost here the splatter as the droplet hit the floor.

"You'll have no place to go. No this will be the last stray Audrey, you are as good as dead when that letter gets home," she said grinning down at me showing her perfect white teeth. "Good Luck finding your common room."

With that said she removed her hand and left me standing in the abandoned hall. I sank against the wall holding a hand to the bleeding wound. There was no way I'd find the common room at this point, so I closed my eyes and let the stone walls and floor soak away my body heat.

I couldn't tell you how long I'd been there dozing off when I heard footsteps. I stood up quickly and began walking towards the sound praying that it wasn't Margaret on patrols.

To my relief the girl I saw was wearing a Gryffindor badge. She smiled softly at me.

"There you are," she said warmly. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, completely dumbfounded. She had a prefects badge but she wasn't scolding me.

"I saw Margaret take you but I couldn't stop. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner," she said her smile faltering slightly. "My name is Rosaline. I'm the Gryffindor prefect as I'm sure you have guessed by now."

It finally dawned on me. Rosaline Watkins. I had seen her face in a Quidditch magazine of my brothers. She was a daughter to one of the players. Rosaline had strawberry blonde hair, and grey eyes. Her smile was slightly flawed by the fact that one side curled up further than the other. Her nose and cheeks were splattered with freckles most likely from being out in the sun.

"Come on now, let's get you in before there is trouble," she said softly.

I never asked her how she knew, or why she was being so nice. My assumptions were that Dumbledore was probably involved in one-way or another. The thought made me smile a tad. I made a mental note to keep an eye on people with a twinkle like his from now on.

Before Rosaline left me walk into my dorm she told me if Margaret gave me trouble again she was there. I gave her a nod of the head to show I understood. I really wasn't feeling up to talking. She responded by smiling at me sadly and took off up the stairs to the seventh year dorms.

As I laid down that night I knew what was in store for me. I knew it would all get worse before it got better, and I knew at some point the time would fly by and I would find myself in my seventh year. I also knew that before I graduated I would have to take Adelaide and run for our lives. Mother was going to dead set on eliminating Addy and I now.


End file.
